Peeta's Run
by Ninja Master
Summary: Live it up today, your time is up tomorrow. In the year of the Captiol 2274. Peeta 5, a gaverment Career authorized to termiate Tributes fleeing Carrousel. Anyone who's 30 must submit to Carrousle on their Lastday.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The moon and stars are visible, with dark, billowing clouds. A distant shimmer of light becomes a glowing but not transparent structure stretching off into the clouds that pass it. The detailed structural webbing of the Capitol. Shining below the Capitol which is a series of dome-like structures standing off without end. A marvelous crystalline city of great openness, building clusters, green plazas, fountains… multi-leveled but human scale, crisscrossed by the flickering clear tubes of the maze cars. As a maze car slides

softly to a stop. The hatch opens and a man in a hurry leaves the maze car and runs swiftly along the roof top and disappears into an open elevator which instantly starts to descend. From a busy courtyard below the elevator slides down from a great height. As it reaches the courtyard the Tribute darts out, pushes into the crowd. As he reappears around a corridor which happens to lead out of the courtyard. He is moving even faster now, glancing back as if he fears pursuit. Above, at the railing of an oval light well,

dressed in black and silver, a figure holding an odd looking weapon lazily in one hand and watching. It is Cato. Moving rapidly down the corridor, he stops as if feeling the presence above. He looks up, sees the Career and his face breaks in terror. He wheels, frantic, screaming, runs back into the hall. Vaulting the rail, dropping lightly to the ground level, weapon poised. The crowd melting, parting to reveal the Tribute backed against the pool. People are yelling, shaking their fists, terribly excited and fearful.

Emotionless . Aims. Fires. Seeming to burst aflame, Cato sauntering forward holstering his weapon. The crowd closing in behind him. Arriving at the pool where the body lies half immersed. He leans over, lifts the right hand from the water, revealing a palm with a black flower crystal shape in it. He lets the hand fall back now as the crowd cheers and applauds him. Clear, sparkling, flower-like. The crystal is in the hand of a sleeping infant who is behind glass in one of many cubicles. Standing outside, looking in,

Peeta, dimly lit in the soft glow of the cubicle where the infant lies, swaddled and cocooned in the rosy auto tender which caterers to the baby's very need. Peeta is twenty five, strong, virile yet sensitive with a kind of austere grace. He is somewhat manic… proud… as he peers through the nursery window into a kind of foam cocoon which cradles three sleeping infants. Peeta is knocking on the soundless glass. "Wake up… come on, Peeta 6." Cato entering. Cato shaking his head in mild, mocking disbelief. "You are

here. I couldn't believe it when they told me. What are you doing?" Peeta still knocking on the soundless glass. "Turn this way." As one of the infants stirs, smiles, bubbles. "No, no…not…you….YOU!" Cato tries to pull Peeta away from the window, but Peeta is intent on waking one of the infants. "You should've seen me take my last Tribute…perfect." Peeta continues to pound the soundless glass. "I backed him up against a residence pool and when he terminated... his hand…" Cato breaks off as Peeta is paying no

attention. "So now you've seen him…what's the difference awake or asleep?" Peeta to infant. Open your eyes idiot." To Cato. "It's not every day that a Career son is born. I'm telling you, Cato that's him!" "Maybe, maybe not. What's the difference? Come on, Peeta, let's get out of here before everybody finds out." But Peeta isn't moving. Cato gets an idea. "Okay…you really want to wake him up?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Cato starts to pry at the panel… Knowing it will sound an alarm. "Hey, cut that out!" Too late: There is a sound of alarm chimes. The area in which they stand is bathed in a violet glow. Peeta grabs Cato firmly and stops him from prying at the panel: "Now you've done it…" The chimes stop…but the glow continues, a metallic voice is heard: "Break in scanners report intrusion, identify." "Peeta 5…Cato 7, authorized duty quadrant. Intrusion accidental."

"Clear Peeta 5 and Cato 7." The violet light goes off. Cato with affection: "Had enough?" Peeta looking at the infant. "Even the alarm didn't wake him." As Cato starts out: Peeta one last look; joining Cato. "All right, Cato…I'm with you. They move off down the corridor… The lights behind them dimming as they pass cubicles suffused with soft pink light, children automatically tended. Chimes… Soft. A lullaby and a soothing impersonal voice. "Sleep time…go

to sleep. Sleeping time, little ones." As they exit Nursery… Peeta stops and takes one final look backward. "You need a lift. Let's go to Arcade and celebrate… Teasing tone. "Your alert successor...Peeta 6." "Has anyone ever broken into where the babies are?" Cato putting a card key into a door which opens soundlessly. "Not in my time…" They move through the door which closes. They are now on a kind of enclosed doorways, each glowing faintly. They

pause, waiting. Cato peering at Peeta curiously. "Why?" "Just wondered…what happens?" Cato shrugs. "Dunno…flame out maybe. Whatever happens you bet its final. But who would want to find out?" One of the doorways brightens and the word Arcade appears on it. The two men move to the spot as a maze car stops. They enter it. Through the doorway which dims behind them as the maze car whooshes softly off into a kind of twilight. The door

slides shut. They sink into seat forms which yield to them. They move. Moving through the Capitol at terrific speed. Glimpses of the Capitol as it goes. Brightly lit, garish. A glimpse as the maze car disappears into a tunnel. As the maze car stops, opens and Peeta and Cato exit into a gathering crowd. Glittering, crowded. Throngs of people moving on many levels, some walking, some on moving platforms. "It's The Great White Way, Luna Park you name

it. Gaudy booths and entrances, featuring every delight too much to take in at a glance. As they thread their way through a crowd which admires them when it notices them, across halls and up moving platforms, the good-natured argument continuing… "But you don't know, you just say what everyone says. One for one. One for one." "Well, why? That's exactly how everything works. How else could the Capitol stay in balance. You have a better idea?"

Peeta laughs. "No, but at least I wonder sometimes instead of doing that "one of one" song of yours. You sound like a sleepteacher with a stuck tape." "Well the minute you get a better idea you can stop wondering. You know you, Peeta you wonder a lot. Too much for a Career." They are passing the façade of a Relive shop. The signs urging people to: Relive Your Most Precious Memories. Do It Again And Again Refresh And Renew Anytime! As they cross

the entrance, two men come out, grinning broadly falling into step just ahead of Peeta and Cato. Then one of the men stops abruptly, almost colliding with them. He mumbles an apology and starts back to Relive. As he disappears into the Relive shop, his friend shrugs cheerfully to Peeta and Cato and moves on. They are moving past a shop called New You #483 when a man comes cannoning out, thrilled and excited. He rushes over to a pretty young

woman who has been eyeing Peeta and Cato, plants himself in front of her with his hands framing his face.


End file.
